In order to study the dynamic characteristics of the machine tool feed system，improve the motion control effect under the influence of friction, the dynamic model and electromechanical coupling simulation model of machine tool feed system were established. The stiffness of the joint was defined based on Hertz theory and Yoshimura method, and the influencing factors of the first-order natural frequency of the feed system were analyzed by control variable method. The dynamic model was verified by finite element software, and the causes of errors were explained. The motion control effects with or without friction compensation were compared by using PID control and feedforward control. The results show that the changes in table quality and position and the stiffness of the screw nut have a significant impact on the first-order natural frequency of the feed system, and the feed-forward can effectively eliminate the “flat top” and “dead zone” undesirable phenomena caused by viscous friction.